Author: Carol Mcgraw
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Empty Stocking Fund: Mercy’s Gate
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Mercy’s Gate helps approximately 25,000 neighbors yearly in the El Paso County area. They are called neighbors by the ministry staff. The word client doesn’t emphasize that those in need are fellow residents of the county. They could be a soldier, a minimum wage worker, someone undergoing an illness, a retired veteran. “Our goal is…
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Empty Stocking Fund: The Resource Exchange
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When Tessa Ziser’s daughter Ruth was 2, she noticed that the girl wasn’t as expressive as other kids her age. “She wasn’t vocalizing as much. We were worried and thought a speech pathologist would be the answer, but we weren’t sure. I looked at services, they were so expensive, and it was hard to figure…
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Empty Stocking Fund: Pikes Peak Hospice
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Five-year-old Teagan cannot walk, speak, eat or move. She was diagnosed at age 3 with metachromatic leukodystrophy, a terminal genetic condition. But Teagan “is a little warrior,” said her mother, Kelsey Donnelly. The grief is deep for Kelsey and husband Shaun, but so is the joy, thanks to Teagan’s unflagging spirit and the invaluable support…
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST: Area’s first female Eagle Scout excels
Astronaut Neil Armstrong was an Eagle Scout. So was former President Gerald Ford and movie director Steven Spielberg. In 110 years of history, only about 6% of those in Boy Scouts of America attained that highest rank. Until recently, none were young women. In February, Sierra Dooley, a Manitou High School student, became the Pikes…
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST: Using creativity and science to address mental health
As the pandemic wore on, Rachel Suter worried about everyone’s mental health. She had endured the suicides of three neighbors years ago, and had taken note of the alarming statistics — how El Paso County led the state in suicides in 2019, and that youth suicides had increased 54% in 2020 to 17, from 11 the…
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST: Brushes with death inspire achievement
One day when Oliver Nguyen-Lopez was about six months old, he stopped breathing. His frantic parents administered CPR until the ambulance arrived. The medical emergency was caused by an allergic reaction to the whooping cough vaccination, which most babies tolerate. He stopped breathing on three more Bruoccasions during the next six weeks, pulling through because…
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST: Overcoming obstacles provides inspiration
Tiia Shea was saddened to see homeless people wandering downtown streets. Wanting to do something, to help, she used money from her part-time restaurant job to buy toothpaste, toothbrushes, lotion, soap and other hygiene products to distribute. She was a bit frightened of approaching the strangers when she started her giveaway program. But she had…
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BEST AND BRIGHTEST: Dark moments motivate aspiring doctor
Taekwondo, painting and science don’t seem like complementary endeavors. But they are for Vrushali Patel, a Discovery Canyon High School senior who finds inspiration and purpose in the intricacies of each. “I pay attention to details and form — brush strokes, competitive kicks, clarifying experiments.” She was first attracted to painting as a child in…
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Best Workplaces: Hero Practice Services helps underserved children
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Mark Musso’s favorite cartoon heroes are Captain Smiles, Specs and Bracket. The characters are central to the mission of Hero Practice Services where he is chief operating officer. The health care firm is a Colorado Springs-based practice management company whose 1,100 teammates provide dental, vision and orthodontic care for children in underserved areas in six…
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Best workplaces: Nursing & Therapy Services of Colorado
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It can be particularly daunting when parents go in search of home care and Medicaid case management for their disabled children. Necie and Evan Mize had looked at several services for their then 2-year-old son Major, but nothing quite clicked. But then they interviewed staff at Nursing & Therapy Services of Colorado (NTSCO). What stood…